Hinge structure



March 14, 1950 AbLER ETAL 2,500,481

HINGE STRUCTURE Filed July 18, 1945 C 1 V M INVENTOR5. J0 75%)? 2 Filer;

3'6 yea/yard 7/ 77454.

Patented Mar. 14, 1950 OFFICE HINGE STRUCTURE John B. Adler, LincolnPark, and Leonard J. Rosa, Detroit, Mich.

Application July 18, 1945, Serial No. 605,694 2 Claims. (01. 16-169)larly hinges of the so-called theft-proof type, the principal objectbeing the provision of a hinge of this type that is simple inconstruction and efiicient in its purpose.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a hinge structureprovided with a hardened hinge pin of new and novel construction: theprovision of a hinge structure having a hardened hinged pin maintainedagainst axial displacement with respect to the hinge halves in a new andnovel manner; and the provision of a hinge structure including halvesjoined by a hardened hinge pin, the hinge pin having one ormore integralribs or flanges thereon interposed between opposed eyes of the twohalves.

The above being among the objects of the present invention, the sameconsists in certain new and novel features of construction andcombinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to theaccompanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above and otherobjects in view.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates suitable embodiments ofthe present invention and in which like numerals refer to like partsthroughout the several different views,

Fig. 1 is a face view of a hinge incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken longitudinallythrough the hinge pin of the hinge shown in Fig. 1 as on the line 2-2thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to. Fig. 1 showing a modified form ofconstruction; and,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

So-called theft-proof hinges have heretofore been made with hardenedhinge pins but in the past, as far as we are aware, the hinge pins areof conventional construction comprising a cylindrical pin projectingthrough the eyes of the twoconnected hinge halves and headed over ontheir opposite ends. While such structures will resist removal of oneend of a hinge pin by filing, and thereby prevent separation of thehinge halves by removal of the pin under such circumstances, the headedends are exposed and may be readily removed by a grinding wheel.Furthermore, in the past in making such hinges the hinges have beenassembled and then heated and quenched in order to harden the pin.

In accordance with the present invention the headed ends of the pins areeliminated, the pins are anchored against longitudinal displacement withrespect to the hinge halves by ribs, flanges or collars at least fixedand preferably formed integrally therewith and disposed between theopposed ends of adjacent eyes on the two hinge halves. As a result it issubstantially impossible to grind or otherwise destroy the ribs orflanges by a grinding wheel or otherwise without entirely destroying thehinge structure, and the security of the hinge is, therefore, greatlyenhanced. Additionally, in accordance with the present invention thehinge pins are hardened before assembly to the hinge halves, thusdispensing with the expensive operation necessary in the older types ofhinge structures.

It will be appreciated, of course, that the present. invention may beapplied to any suitable type of hinge structure regardless of its shapeor method of fastening it to the parts to-be hinged together and in thisrespect the hinge may be of that type formed from sheet metal whereinthe eyes are formed by bending tongues from the blank, or maybe employedin connection with hinges of the type wherein the two halves aredie-cast fromsuitable metal or other suitable material. For the purposeof illustration the hinges in the drawing are illustrated of the typeformed from sheet metal in the first-described manner.

Referring to the drawing the hinge illustrated in Fig. 1 consists of ahalf in having a pair of axially spaced and aligned eyes l2 and thehinge half I4 as having a single eye l6 fitting between the eyes [2. Asillustrated in Fig. 2 a cylindrical hinge pin 18 projects through botheyes I2 and the eye l6 and is preferably of such length that its endsare flush with the outer ends of the eyes [2 as shown.

The hinge pin l8 has fixed thereto and preferably integrally formedtherewith a radially outwardly projecting bead, flange, projection orcollar which, in the broader aspects of the invention, may be ofrelatively short angular extent relative to the axis of the pin l8, orof any increased angular extent up to a complete circle. Inasmuch as itmay be formed annular by simply upsetting a short length of a pin of thediameter of the pin l8, this form will ordinarily be employed as moreeconomical and most efficient and is therefore shown in the drawing byway of illustration and indicated by the numeral 20. The flange 20 isinterposed between one end .of the eye It and the opposed end of theadjacent eye I2, the axial spacing of the eyes I! in comparison with theaxial length of the eye is preferably being such as to snuglyaccommodate the rib or flange 20 between such ends. Preferably but notnecessarily the radial dimension of the rib or flange 20 issubstantially equal to the thickness of the metal from which the halvesl and I4 are formed as indicated in Fig. 2, so that its periphery isflush with the peripheries of the eyes 12 and [6. The rib or flange 2Bin being confined betweenopposed ends of a pair of eyes on the opposedhalves of the hingeserves to lock the hinge pin against axial movementwith respect to the eyes of the opposite halves l0 and I4 and theadjacent eyes guard against access to the rib or flange 20 from the endsthereof and therefore protect such rib or flange against destruction.

The hinge pin is and the flange 20 when employed in a theft-proof hingeare formed from steel and hardened, either from a steel that is capableof being hardened by heating and quenching, or from a steel not havingthis capability but which has been case. hardened after forming. In thetheft-proof character is not important it may be formed of any suitablematerial, soft or hard. -In any event it will be appreciated that it issubstantially impossible with out destroying the hinge structure toremove the flange 20'- from the pin I 8- so as to permit the pin l8 tobe driven axially from the eyes I and I6 and thereby permit the twohalves of the hinge to be separated. I v

In the manufacture of the hinge shown the two halves of the hinge areseparately formed and with the portions which form the eyes (2' and I6,respectively, in flat or'in partly bent condition. The two halves l0 andM are then placed in appropriate progressive die structure, the hardenedpin 8 with the flange 20 formed thereon positioned in proper locationbetween them, and the portions which are to form the eyes [2 and It thenoperated upon by the die structure to bend them about the pin l8 intothe respective eyes I? and- H? thereby to complete the hinge structure.As will be appreciated by' those skilled in the art such assemblingoperation may be carried on automatically and at a high rate of speed,thus effecting a material saving in assembly costs as compared to theassembly cost of the former types of theft-proof hinges. onthe otherhand by placing" the hardened inin a suitable die structure the twohalves lflazrd' M when formed of suitable material may be die cast aboutthe pin to provide the desired struc-- ture'. It will, of course; beappreciated that one or a plurality of ribs or flanges such as- 2 0 maybe" provided in a single hinge structure and fact where each hinge halfis provided with a pinrality of eyesalike number of ribs or flanges such20 may be provided on the corresponding hinge'pin, one between theopposed faces of each opposed pair of eyes: As illustrative of this lastfeature m the hinge shown in Fig. 3 the two halves 30 and 32 are eachprovided with two axially spaced eyes 34 and 36, respectively, soarranged as shown that when assembled one eye of each half is interposedbetween two eyes of the other half. In this case and as, brought out inFig. 4, the corresponding hinge pin 38 which projects through all of theeyes is provided with two annular ribs or flanges 40 correspending tothe rib or flange in the first described construction. The ribs orflanges 40 are spaced from one another axially of the hinge pin 38 sothat one is received between one eye 34 of the half 30 and one eye 36 ofthe half 32, while the other is received between the remaining eye 34 ofthe half 30 and the remaining eye of the half 32'.

Having thus described our invention what is claimed by Letters Patentis:

1. In a hinge structure, in combination, a pair of halves providing aplurality of aligned eyes, one of said halves including at least twoaxially spaced eyes and the other of said halves including at least oneeye interposed between said spaced eyes, a single and separate hinge pinreceived by all of said eyes, and a radially project ing flange fixedwith respect to said pin received between the opposed ends of twoadjacent of said eyes, thereby forming a unitary assemblage incapable orbeing separated except by destruction of said hinge structure.

2. A hinge structure comprising a pair of halves each provided 'withaplurality of aligned and axially spaced eyes, the eyes of both halvesbeing aligned' witn each other, a single and sepa rate hinge pinreceived by all of said eyes, and

a plurality of radially outwardly projecting flange element's formedintegrally with said hinge pin in spaced relation with respect to eachother axially or said hinge pin, each of said flanges being receivedbetween the adjacent ends of adjacent eyes on the two hinge halves.

B. ADLER.

LEONARD J. ROSA.

REFERENCES cITEn The following, referencesare of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 22830r Squire et al. Feb. 1,185.928,510 Shields May 29, 1860 1, 23, 12 Moody J y 922 1,998,301 Atwood Apr16, 1935' FOREIGN PATENTS Number 4 Country Date rarro Great BritainJune' 23', 1899' 23,175 Germany Arug. 15, 1883 1301116 Germany Apr, 24,1902 1,999 Great Britain a. June 1899"

